Friday, July 11, 2008

11 Jul 2008 09:35 am

PEPFAR Next Week

The threat to removing the HIV immigration ban comes from a point of order. Here's what can happen:

Opponents of the bill will likely raise a Budget Point of Order against the bill. This is nothing but a thinly veiled attempt to kill the bill.

Continue reading "PEPFAR Next Week" »

11 Jul 2008 09:27 am

Bush Targets Obama

More details are emerging about Obama's Germany trip and the president's determination to meddle with it.:

Deputy Treasury Secretary Robert Kimmitt told the mass circulation tabloid Bild that "it would be nice if the German government would focus on strengthening its contacts to us rather than already beginning to look for our successors."

And this:

"It's said that the Chancellor's foreign policy advisor, Christoph Heusgen, was berated by a member of the Bush team over Obama's plans at the G-8 summit in Japan."

And it turns out that speeches at the Brandenburg Gate are pretty much a dime a dozen. It looks to me as if the Bushies are desperate to prevent Obama getting an ovation in Europe. Given the disdain and contempt of much of the European public for Bush, and the powerful advantage the Europe trip will give Obama, it's understandable. But no less tacky.

11 Jul 2008 09:22 am

Obama In Europe

My English gut tells me Ambers is right:

Obama's trip to Europe will be a huge event...maybe as big as his convention, maybe as big as a debate. Sheer curiosity will translate into enormous crowds, even as most of Obama's events will be small and pooled. The European press will climax, repeatedly.

I predict an extended media orgasm as well. Europeans are desperate to fall in love with America again. This young, black Kennedy figure will likely create iconic scenes - reminding the old of the America that once inspired them and the young of the capacity for change that America still contains. And it's simply great theater.

One thing we have learned about the Obama campaign that has been overlooked: they understand theater. In fact, no campaign has understood theater this way - and its powerful relationship to politics  - since Deaver managed Reagan.

(Photo: Obama in Virginia this week by Chip Somodevilla/Getty.)

11 Jul 2008 08:46 am

Christianism Watch

Another informative episode on "Christian Worldview Network":

Part II: In today's program Brannon exposes that lie that Hitler killed homosexuals. Even a homosexual writer admits that is false. Some of Hitler's inner circle were homosexual and bi-sexual. The Brown Shirts started as a homosexual and bisexual organization.

11 Jul 2008 08:14 am

How To Report On G8?

Gideon Rachman takes Alan Beattie's advice:

An ineffectual international organisation yesterday issued a stark warning about a situation it has absolutely no power to change, the latest in a series of self-serving interventions by toothless intergovernmental bodies.

But the photo-ops make everyone feel important, no?

11 Jul 2008 07:39 am

Obama At The Gate

A reader in Berlin writes:

Everyone just assumes that thousands will come out for such a speech. And they’d be right. Berliners has already hosted dozens of Obama events, dating back to February. The Democrats Abroad were almost co-opted by groups organizing here before the Dems as a party could coalesce around a candidate. On Monday night there is another one – held perhaps ironically at the bar and club "White Trash Fast Food“.

It’s worth noting – in all of the dispute – that Kennedy’s most famous Berlin speech – the "ich bin kein Berliner" speech – was not held in front of the Brandenburg Gate, or the Berlin Wall, but instead in a (today relatively inconspicuous) market square at the Schöneberg city hall.

With the opening of the embassy last week here right next to the Brandenburg Gate, the Pariser Platz square has suddenly become the focal point for US-German relations. There is no better place for a speech by a person whose candidacy holds so much promise for the restoration of cooperation, mutual trust and amity between Europe and the US.

Larison sees the Brandenburg option as more hubris. I have a feeling it won't happen. Why not Schoneberg? And take Caroline.

11 Jul 2008 07:22 am

Drill, Drill, Drill

Kudlow revises his cap-and-trade reporting:

...as far as abandoning, that’s not what I said. I wrote that a McCain presidency might resurrect cap-and-trade, although it will be a much different format. But the key point is that several campaign advisors told me that the issue now is jobs and the economy, and of course $4 gas at the pump and $140 oil in the world market ... Hence, the senator is being smart to move away from cap-and-trade and instead support drill, drill, drill for more energy supplies to reduce gas prices, as well as tax-cut plans to spur economic growth and jobs.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

10 Jul 2008 09:23 pm

Busted

Loved this detail from the LA Times:

On Tuesday, a staff member in the digital department e-mailed Jackson's comments to a producer for "The O'Reilly Factor," who was vacationing in France.

Why does an O'Reilly producer hate America?

10 Jul 2008 09:05 pm

Face Of The Day

British Paratrooper from the 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment, Lcp Michael Taylor, 25-years-old from Liverpool sits in his mosquito net tent on July 9, 2008 in Gibraltar FOB (Forward Operating Base) in Upper Gereshk Valley,Helmand Province, Afghanistan. By Marco Di Lauro/Getty.

10 Jul 2008 08:41 pm

Hollywood's Lost Heroes

A paleocon laments:

"The Wild West has been resurrected not as a story of taming the wilderness, both external and internal, on behalf of decency and civilization, but as a convenient synecdoche for that dark, amoral, and timelessly violent world that all art worthy of the name today must presuppose. Where there is no hope of a better world, there can be little to distinguish heroes from villains."

I guess WALL-E doesn't count.

10 Jul 2008 08:29 pm

His Face Only Goes So Far

Obama isn't going to please everyone:

Most Arabs only know Barack Obama's name and skin color, so, unsurprisingly, they are fairly enthusiastic about his candidacy. But what are Thomas Friedman's Arab equivalents, the opinion leaders of the Middle East, saying about Obama? A famously diverse group--ranging from idealistic reformers to moralizing Islamists--the Arab world's pundits are almost unanimous in their skepticism of him, offering a sharp corrective to the narrative of a world united in its ardor for Obama. They have been arguing that he is not so unconventional an American politician when it comes to the Middle East, and that the people of the region have reason to be worried about an Obama presidency.

(Hat tip: Michael Totten)

10 Jul 2008 08:12 pm

Why Jackson Said It

Marc points to this piece by Eric Easter:

The fear among critics is that the real audience that day was not the Black people in the pews at all, but the white people in middle America looking for a strong signal that Obama was rejecting the politics of racial division and animosity. By choosing that moment to castigate Black fathers, some worry that Obama gave public voice to what white people whisper about Blacks in their living rooms and cemented his image as a post-racial savior at the expense of Black men.  Whether that was Obama’ s intention or whether he just figured it was Father’s Day so why not do the absent Father stump speech again is impossible to know, but the event smacked of calculated political expediency that troubled more than a few people.

Continue reading "Why Jackson Said It" »

10 Jul 2008 07:14 pm

Ads And Reality

Fun in food-packaging from Germany. The processed ones are actually pretty accurate, but fast food? Oy.

10 Jul 2008 06:37 pm

The War Against Robots

If we lose in air hockey, it's truly over for humanity.

10 Jul 2008 06:30 pm

McCain's Message

Joyner writes:

I’d say McCain’s bumper sticker message is “Elect a grown-up.” And I don’t think wanting to drill for more oil while simultaneously trying to end our need for it in the longer term is at all problematic; it’s essentially a right-of-center answer to Bill Clinton’s “third way.”'

10 Jul 2008 06:15 pm

The Children Of Presidents

Drum thinks I am overreacting:

Now, sure: of course young kids should be generally off limits from the campaign press. But does that mean they should literally never be seen on TV? What's the harm? Families are a staple of American politics, people are legitimately curious about what Obama's family is like, and a few minutes with Maria Menounos is the safest, least toxic interview imaginable. It's the 21st century equivalent of one of those carefully staged Life photo spreads from the 50s. Shouldn't we all calm down about this?

A reader doesn't:

One thing you don't hear from McCain is the fact that he has a 19-20 year old son who has done an Iraq tour as a Marine, and another son at Annapolis who is almost certain to be deployed to the region.  That's a bit of class that Obama would do well to emulate.

10 Jul 2008 05:44 pm

Non-Spoilers

Mark Blumenthal evaluates support for Nader and Barr:

I believe that many voters are telling pollsters they support Barr or Nader now, especially when offered the four-way choice, because they are not entirely sold on Obama or McCain and would rather grab for the "independent" as a way to give the interviewer a satisfactory answer...

10 Jul 2008 05:28 pm

The Handwriting Of Typographers

If you love fonts as much as I do, you'll be intrigued by the actual way the font-creators write.

10 Jul 2008 05:12 pm

The Brandenburg Gate Speech

Did Bush intervene to get Angela Merkel to oppose Obama's campaign event? That's what I'm told the German evening news is reporting.

10 Jul 2008 05:08 pm

"Un-American" Obama

A reader writes:

   In response to all this talk about Obama being a commie or Marxist or un-American, I have this to say. I think for all black people in general, full disclosure I am AA, being labeled unAmerican is  common. It seems as if we don't wear flag pins daily or color our houses red, blue, and white we are less American than white Americans. I sometimes feel that AA have to resort to the "we built America" argument.

Sure, I may not have a American flag bathing suit- but I love this country because it has given me and my family a future. So, when people question Obama's patriotism I get what they are trying to say. He cannot love this country because he is black. I think the same holds for all non-white Americans.

10 Jul 2008 04:46 pm

Sanity From Lessig

Couldn't agree more:

Obama is no (in the 1970s sense) "liberal": There are many who are upset by this who believe this (and other recent moves) shows Obama "moving to the center." People who make this argument signal they don't know squat about which they speak. You can't read Obama's books, watch how he behaved in the Illinois Senate, and watched how he voted in the US Senate, and believe he is a Bernie Sanders liberal. He is not now, and nor has ever been. That's not to say there aren't issues on which he takes a liberal position. It is to say that the mix of views he actually has and has had doesn't map on a 1970s spectrum of liberals to conservative.

The right doesn't know what to make of Obama because he has transcended their Rovian categories. So he either has to be a radical like McGovern or a hollow opportunist like Clinton. He is, in fact, neither. And while the old school left and right bicker over him, my sense is that many others are slowly getting his message.

10 Jul 2008 04:34 pm

Israel and Syria

They're eager to talk, it seems. But they may need to ask Sarkozy to be the mediator, as long as Bush is president.

10 Jul 2008 04:30 pm

The GOP's Carter Moment

Ross parses Phil Gramm.

10 Jul 2008 04:20 pm

Mental Health Break

A stop motion short by filmmaker Adam Pesapane:

10 Jul 2008 04:15 pm

Obama: New And Improved?

The Economist's Lexington columnist likes the centrist theme. He wants more.

10 Jul 2008 03:44 pm

You Know Obama's Doing Well...

... when Rove tries to take credit. Actually he does deserve credit. If Rove hadn't driven the GOP into a durable minority, Obama would never have emerged.

10 Jul 2008 03:44 pm

Biking In DC

A DC cyclist killed by a garbage truck has sparked the perennial car vs. bike debate. I agree with J.P. Friere. Car-drivers in DC simply treat cyclists as if they have no right to be on the road. I was run down by a car as I was slowly riding my bike across a pedestrian crossing on Florida Avenue once. Tyler Cowen argues in favor of cars. Megan takes the side of bicyclists. I've written about biking in DC before.

10 Jul 2008 03:38 pm

The Art Within Us

Medical animation never looked so beautiful.

10 Jul 2008 03:27 pm

Mickey And Jesse

Watching Mickey marinate in his anti-anti-GOP schtick has not been pretty these past few years. But I never thought his hostility to the Democrats would lead him into the arms of Jesse Jackson's worldview. A small prediction: Mickey's hostility to an Obama presidency will make my horror at Bush seem milque-toast.

10 Jul 2008 03:19 pm

State Of The Web 2008

A graphic summary of emerging trends.

10 Jul 2008 03:11 pm

Malkin Award Nominee

"Would the Communist tyrannies of the 20th Century have been possible if The Communist Manifesto had never been written? Would Hitler ever have come to power if he had never written Mein Kampf? Would we have AIDS if Alfred Kinsey hadn't "mainstreamed" homosexuality in Sexual Behavior in the Human Male?" - Thomas S. Winter, Editor in Chief, Human Events, in a direct mail letter.  

10 Jul 2008 03:02 pm

Torpedoing McCain's Iran Moment

Nate Silver notes the irony of yesterday's news cycle.

10 Jul 2008 02:55 pm

Maybe I'm Chinese

Steve Clemons infers on who the Chinese would vote for:

If we could vote, we would vote for Barack Obama's foreign policy and John McCain's economic policy. Can we merge them?

Actually, of course, I'd be more fiscally responsible than the new McCain.

10 Jul 2008 02:50 pm

Quote For The Day

"I think Sen. Gramm would be in serious consideration for Ambassard to Belarus. Though I'm not sure the citizens of Minsk would welcome that," - John McCain, distancing himself from Gramm's statement that the economy was in fine shape.

10 Jul 2008 02:47 pm

Good News From The Front

Despite a lot of the bad news coming out of the small Afghan blogosphere, the good news is that, well, there is an Afghan blogosphere. And thanks to some practical advice from western bloggers, it's growing.

10 Jul 2008 02:39 pm

Obama On Same-Sex Immigration

Andoni takes things into his own hands and talks to Obama:

“I have to choose between the love of my life and my country because I am gay. Please support immigration rights for gay and lesbian families.”

I practiced this line over and over. However, when my moment came, I flubbed my lines. I don’t know exactly what I said, but I did manage to get out gay and immigration --- and then I choked up. It was a real emotional choke up, not an act, and not the script. However, I said enough for Obama to know what I was talking about.  He put his arm around me and in a very comforting way said, “I know, I know.”

It was apparent that he knew this issue well.

Continue reading "Obama On Same-Sex Immigration" »

10 Jul 2008 02:26 pm

The Art Of Dirty Cars

And a sudden shower wipes it all away ...

10 Jul 2008 02:15 pm

Hewitt Award Nominee II

"I do think that, frankly, Barack Obama looks toward Europe for a lot of his inspiration. I think John McCain is going to make sure that America stays America," - Mitt Romney.

10 Jul 2008 02:12 pm

Hewitt Award Nominee

"Well this is why [Obama] is a popular candidate in Europe, because there is such an anti-American feeling and he is sort of capturing that," - Rudy Giuliani. Not anti-American; anti-Bush. Last time I checked, Obama was very much an American.

10 Jul 2008 02:04 pm

The Hubris Of Obama? Ctd

Yes, I know that interview with the girls was an oversight:

A reader writes:

I think Obama immediately recognized several of the missteps that you mention: the seal (taken down right away), the interview including his kids (he decided and announced immediately after it that it would not be repeated).  But I disagree with you about the use of Invesco stadium for the acceptance speech.

Continue reading "The Hubris Of Obama? Ctd" »

10 Jul 2008 02:04 pm

Clinton's FISA Vote

Matt Stoller wonders:

It's interesting to consider how Clinton would have voted were she the nominee, and there's no way to know now. Why did she vote properly this time? She doesn't have a strong incentive to vote either way this time. She's going to be a very powerful Senator going forward with a substantial PAC and web operation regardless. I wonder why she did this. It's possible she voted this way to embarrass Obama, though it's more likely she just believes that this is a bad bill. Maybe it's heralding a new Clinton who is less cautious and more willing to fight for liberal principles.

Uh-huh. Stephen Spruiell counters:

Or maybe it's the same Clinton who still has her eye on the White House and wouldn't think twice about undermining her party's nominee if it helps her.

10 Jul 2008 01:53 pm

Tour de Google

Yes, Googlemaps now allows you to bike the route, from your arm-chair.

10 Jul 2008 01:27 pm

Rumors Of Wars

Thomas P.M. Barnett worries about the drift toward conflict after the Iran missile test:

On the Israeli side, better to get it done before Obama takes the oath. Ditto for Ahmadinejad, strangely enough. No point in having your best enemy denied to you when you need him for your own re-election.

On the other hand, how serious is the threat when you have to photoshop the record?

10 Jul 2008 01:14 pm

The View From Your Window

Auckland, New Zealand, 8.14 am.

10 Jul 2008 12:43 pm

Hewitt Award Nominee

"Obama Loves America Like O.J. Loved Nicole" - Pemberton Republican website, New Jersey.

10 Jul 2008 12:16 pm

Ending The HIV Travel Ban

The PEPFAR bill approaches and you can still help. Here's an innovative way: by Facebook. There's a group now dedicated to mobilizing online support in lobbying the Senate. You can easily email your Senator here, using a sample letter if that's easier. Please help.

10 Jul 2008 11:49 am

The Hubris Of Obama?

A few things have unsettled me these past couple of weeks about the Obama campaign. It is not the small adjustments to previously-held positions - FISA, the Second Amendment, Iraq. It's a sense that Obama's ample self-regard is lapsing into hubris. The signs of this are pretty trivial on the surface, but they are troubling nonetheless.

That simulated faux-presidential seal was both tacky, silly and presumptive - a small version of "Mission Accomplished" Obama could well do without. The decision to give his acceptance speech in a stadium, rather than the traditional convention hall is also an unnecessary over-reach. The night will be freighted enough with history; it needs no new drama to set it apart. And the drama of the first black man accepting the nomination - with Obama's rhetorical brilliance - will be more than enough for impact. Lastly, I was gob-smacked by the Obamas' decision to include their children in a soft-focus TV interview.

Continue reading "The Hubris Of Obama?" »

10 Jul 2008 11:38 am

Ezra Is Too Kind

Chait chides Obama bloggers for treating "Clinton and her fans with kid gloves":

I can see the attractiveness of the party line that Democrats are all united, and only Republicans and sexists want to suggest otherwise. I can also see the utility of trying to remember all that was good about Hillary Clinton, and paying homage to the sexism she endured, so that her supporters don't feel do disrespected. The fact remains, however, that Clinton surrounded herself with some unattractive characters and, not coincidentally, ran a nasty, demagogic, anti-intellectual campaign, and did some non-trivial damage to the causes she claimed to be fighting for. Pointing this out now doesn't help Obama, but I'm not working for his campaign.

Go Chait!

10 Jul 2008 10:54 am

Exhausting Gallium?, Ctd

The blogosphere slowly unveils the complicated truth. A reader writes:

The issue isn't how much gallium exists, it's how much can be recovered economically. Gallium is a trace element, so it can't be mined; it has to be extracted chemically from other minerals.

Continue reading "Exhausting Gallium?, Ctd" »

10 Jul 2008 10:37 am

The Same Obama

A must-read from Gail Collins (yes, you read that right). I have yet to see any real change in the kind of politician Obama has always been in the last month or so. Collins is right that the only true U-turn is on public financing, but that is about winning. Obama has already, on many issues, defused polarization, despite frantic attempts by Fox News, the Clinton campaign and the lazy media to force him into a super-blue box. His very emergence has done wonders for the Iraq debate. I see no reason not to think that the hopes I placed on him in "Goodbye to All That" are being slowly, fitfully, imperfectly realized.